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Women’s groups target Voinovich to pass anti-violence bill

Supporters of the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) are
ramping up their lobbying efforts as Congress prepares to bring the
measure to a vote following the July 4 recess.

Their primary target: Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), a prominent
“debt hawk” and member of the Appropriations Committee who is retiring
after this year.

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Voinovich is viewed as a crucial GOP vote
for a bill that currently has only two Republican sponsors in the
Senate. Advocates say his support will be vital to obtaining the
desired amount of funding from Congress: up to $1.3 billion over five
years.

More than a dozen religious organizations, service institutions and
advocacy groups from Voinovich’s home state have joined with national
groups such as Women Thrive Worldwide to lobby for the senator’s vote.

Phyllis
Carlson-Riehm, executive director of the Action Ohio Coalition for
Battered Women in Columbus, said she plans to visit Voinovich’s
district office in the coming weeks.

Her organization was one of 18 local groups to draft a letter to Voinovich urging the senator to support I-WAVA.

“It
is important for the United States to demonstrate ethically and morally
the belief in both genders having access to resources and equal
rights,” Carlson-Riehm said.

Carlson-Riehm said she is optimistic Voinovich can be won over.

“As
an individual who listens to his constituents and cares about
respecting their views, there’s no reason not to expect that he will
respond,” she said.

Voinovich spokeswoman Rebecca Neal said the senator will review the
legislation and make an appropriate decision should the bill come up
for a vote.

Ritu Sharma, president and co-founder of Women
Thrive Worldwide, said her organization recently delivered a
considerable stack of letters and faxes to Voinovich’s office.

“I don’t think there could be a clearer signal from his constituency that they want him on this bill,” Sharma said.

Advocates
say public support for I-VAWA is strong. A 2009 poll found that 82
percent of voters across demographic and political lines support the
bill.

“I think members of Congress will be really proud to go back to
their districts and say ‘I voted to help end violence against women
around the world,’” Sharma said.

The bill is designed to combat violence against women and girls
through all relevant U.S. foreign policy efforts, including
international aid programs, and require the administration to produce a
strategy designed to “measurably reduce violence against women.”

It would also for the first time make the issue a diplomatic priority,
requiring the United States to respond within 90 days of an outbreak of
sexual violence against women during conflict and war.

I-VAWA is an international version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a piece of legislation passed in 1994.

The bill currently has 28 co-sponsors in the Senate and 112 in the House.

Delahunt is “cautiously optimistic,” according to his press secretary, Rory
Sheehan.

Sharma said she hopes to see a vote by September and is confident the bill will pass.

“We know we have the votes in committee and we know we have the votes on the floor,” Sharma said.